Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin. Kinesio taping has revolutionized the world of sports medicine and Physical Therapy, offering patients an exciting new way to manage pain, improve injured performance, and accelerate recovery. You probably saw the multicolored performance tape at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as it was popular with sand volleyball players but it has gained widespread traction among athletes since then. Its inception dates back to the 1970’s when a chiropractor named Kenzo Kase started to implement it in his treatments. Let’s find out how it can benefit you and athletic performance.
How Does Kinesio Taping Therapy Work?
Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin. Kinesio taping is a process that involves applying elastic therapeutic tape to the skin in certain patterns. Unlike more traditional athletic tape, Kinesio tape imitates how elastic human skin is. This allows for a full range of motion while also providing support, which makes it ideal for athletes. The tape gently lifts the skin and decreases pressure on pain receptors and promotes the opening of the lymphatic drainage system. This system plays an important role in our bodies by removing cellular waste and fighting infections, especially in cases of soft tissue injuries.
How Does it Improve Performance?
The effectiveness of kinesiotaping to maximize physical performance when injured lies in its ability to interact with the body’s sensory and circulatory systems:
- Decrease Pain: Besides helping reduce swelling, Kinesio tape stimulates sensory receptors in the skin, changing pain signals sent to the brain. This can lead to reduced pain perception, improved proprioception (knowing where your body is in space), and better muscle activation as your pain signals are not telling your body to shut down and protect the muscles which can be a hindrance if you are competing with only a minor injury.
- Circulatory Benefits: As mentioned before lifting the skin, Kinesio tape creates a pressure gradient that enhances blood and lymphatic flow. This improved circulation can help reduce swelling and promote faster healing by getting cells to the injured area to clean up debris and start rebuilding new tissue.
- Muscle Support: The tape provides gentle support to muscles and joints without restricting movement. This can help activate weak muscles and give overused ones a break. It can also be very helpful in training yourself to facilitate the activation of the correct postural muscles to protect your neck and lower back with athletic activity. We often implement taping after applying ASTYM to a patient who is then able to achieve a fuller range of motion but needs the activation of stabilizing muscles to maintain that range and be pain-free.
Conditions Treated with Kinesio Taping
Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin. So you’re probably asking yourself, when the heck is this going to be useful for me? As you can see below, it is beneficial for a wide range of conditions especially if you need to able to perform competitively while injured or just need to take the edge off pain and discomfort.
Kinesio taping provides game-changing performance results in treating a wide range of conditions such as:
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Tendonitis
- Patellofemoral stress syndrome
- IT band friction syndrome
- Postural issues
- Chronic pain conditions
- Post-surgical swelling
- Controlling swelling
Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin. While Kinesio taping is not a sole cure for your musculoskeletal injury conditions, much like massage, it can ease your pain and discomfort allowing you to perform your therapeutic exercises that will directly help address the root cause of your pain. In a situational pinch, it can assist you in getting through competitive activities without causing further stress to your minor injuries.
Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin. For those with localized edema or lymphedema, it is particularly effective in managing swelling, making it a valuable tool in both acute injury management and post-surgical care. The tape’s lifting effect on the skin creates channels that guide excess fluid toward lymph nodes, reducing swelling more effectively. By lifting the skin, Kinesio tape decreases pressure on swollen tissues, allowing for better circulation and faster healing. Unlike compression bandages, Kinesio tape can be worn for 3-5 days, providing 24/7 continuous swelling management.
Final Thoughts
While Kinesio taping has shown promising results, it’s important to note that research is always ongoing. It would be highly irresponsible to say that it’s appropriate for every single condition. It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional to determine if this technique is right for you. By promoting the body’s natural healing processes and giving support to muscles, tendons, and ligaments with minimal movement restriction you can ensure the fastest healing time possible. Make sure to take advantage of this treatment offering giving you a unique tool for managing pain, enhancing performance, and speeding up recovery.
Kinesiotaping Therapy Austin References
Donec V, Kubilius R. The effectiveness of Kinesio Taping® for pain management in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2019 Aug 29;11:1759720X19869135.
Gibbons, J. (2019) A Practical Guide to Kinesiology Taping for Injury Prevention and Common Medical Conditions. Lotus Publishing.
Healthline. (2023) Kinesiology tape: Uses, benefits, and how it works. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/kinesiology-tape#uses
Williams S, Whatman C, Hume PA, Sheerin K. Kinesio taping in treatment and prevention of sports injuries. Sports Medicine 2012; 42(2): 153-164.
